1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to structure that may selectively fit over further structure containing a fire or heating element and more particularly to a cover that may selectively placed over a circular recreational outdoor fire pit when the pit is not in use.
2. Prior Art
Structures that may be selectively placed over fire holding areas are well known and have been in use for many years.
One early example of such structure is set out in U.S. Pat. No. 5,144 (Talbot) which discloses a Civil War era spider-grate attachable to a set of legs to locate the grate about an open fire. The grate comprises a flat annular ring. Attached to a bottom side of this ring is a set of spaced part inverted U-shaped channel members that provide a flat top surface for supporting food and cooking utensils being heated by a fire below.
Another example of a covering structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,757,622 (Buchman). In this case, the cover is part of an incinerator for out-of-doors installation. The incinerator has a shell, pyramid-like shaped body with a square top opening and a bottom side opening for removing incinerated matter. Positioned over the top opening is an upward extending perforated, frustum-like shaped cover. Alternatively, this cover may be inverted to hold combustible material such as charcoal.
Next, U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,387 (Bateman) sets out a self-extinguishing fire pit that utilities covering structure. This pit is defined in part by a cylindrically shaped, concrete sidewall sunk into the ground. In the pit is an ash pan that may rest on the ground defining a bottom of the pit or be raised to rest on a top ledge of the pit sidewall. In this latter case, a set of rods slidably attached to a bottom of the pan are slid outward to support the pan on the pit ledge. The pit may be selectively covered by a flat, circular lid having a peripheral edge that rests on the pit ledge. The lid includes an aperture for hand insertion for sliding the lid to uncover the pit, for example, or an upwardly slidable handle for the same task.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 383,029 (Strelcheck Jr. et al) discloses a multipurpose outdoor fire pit having a circular body member formed with an inner, circular, bowl-shaped fire material holding plate. Extending upward from a top ledge of the body member are four spaced apart uprights that support a dome-shaped cover that shields the fire material holding plate from the elements. When not is use this cover may be placed directly on the pit body top ledge using two spaced apart handles attached to the cover outer side. When a fire is burning on the holding plate, the cover may be used as a deflector. In this case, the cover is held upright by two of the uprights having upper ends inserted into spaced apart handles attached to an inner side of the cover.
Other cover structure of general interest are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 323,500 (Griffard); U.S. Pat. No. Des. 485,469 (Siegal et al.); U.S. Pat. No. Des. 428,305 (Berkes); U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,118 (Beller); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,138 (Tidwell).